In the silvery waterfall of moonlight, Jonathan Aztec, my second in command, holding rank as Beta of the Northridge pack, was something to behold. His powerful shoulders seemed to carry the waning gibbous, and the shadows that devoured the vast grounds of Battleridge manor granted him a wide berth.
He was a superior specimen. He was a male worthy of the ranking he'd been bestowed. But like all creatures, he wasn't born perfect, and his character flaw was a fault that bled out into the night like a severed artery: Concern.
It charged the air between us, a thick blanket that settled against the lungs like a boa-constrictor's loving embrace.
"What did you find?" I asked. The perverse silence that had entombed the dilapidated courtyard, screaming so loud it rang through my ears like a twisted lullaby, was shattered upon his approach. His boots smacked against the waterlogged ground, echoing in a way that spoke of his failures before he'd even opened his mouth. 
"Nothing,"
.......
"Until I can figure out what's going on, nobody finds out about the boy. Understand?"
"Understood."
"You're not going to ..." The pause that followed dragged out. "He's just a baby, Sterling."
"You're dismissed."

The Littlest Light

Jonathan winced from my left. I took that as an indication that I was doing great.

/"This threat is unlike any we've ever seen before. Enough of a threat that the Blackwater pack had offered their hand in an alliance./"

That broke the silence, a small churning of chatter taking up the room. I cleared my throat, shooting them a glare before continuing. /"Until we know who or what it is we're up against, both of our packs are going to be working around the clock to keep our members safe. It will require sacrifice; hard work for safety doesn't seem like too big of an ask./"

/"Have you gained any leads on how the scent keeps vanishing?/" Jacob Mercer asked. Jonathan's nephew. A fucking pain, too.

Chapter30